Traveling American roadways this summer, we’re seeing something new in the continuing evolution of an American icon.
Road construction on Interstate 65 between Gary and Indianapolis led me to back to US 41 as an alternative route for our trip from Chicago to West Lafayette, IN. Being on 41 again got me to nostalgically flash back to my childhood. In the 60s before the interstate system was built, Route 41 was our family vacation road to the Sunshine State.As I recall, our trips from Illinois to Florida took at least three days of driving.As kids, we had auto bingo, comic books and sibling bickering to pass the time in the back seat of our Olds 88.At the end of each day of travel, we looked forward to our stay at the Holiday Inn. There was a nice dinner, a dip in the pool and a good night’s sleep and pancakes the next morning before more backseat bickering.The mere sight of a retro Holiday Inn sign (left) brings back fond memories of our stopovers in Nashville, Birmingham and Tallahassee. And as an adult, our honeymoon stay was at a beautiful Holiday Inn resort property in the Caribbean where an icon of that original sign was mounted on the building.
Moderation
Or course, those big gaudy signs were softened and abbreviated over time. Municipal signage codes and changing styles made that a necessity. But they maintained the primary elements of the original with the same lettering, an updated star image and warm green background.
The New “H”
But now as we travel the homogenized commercial landscape of America, there is a new look to Holiday Inn property signage.It’s an uninspiring H on a gradient green background that looks like it was drawn by the 60s TV character, Zoro. Or is it more like an early football goalpost? In any case, Holiday Inn has re-branded in an effort to lure more business travelers to their previously run down properties.
I admit that, although I was once a Holiday Inn stockholder, my business travel lodging preferences have migrated away from Holiday Inn in favor of Hilton/Hampton and Marriott/Courtyard as Holiday Inn’s properties became rundown.But if they are looking to win me back as a business traveler,I question whether stripping the nostalgic connections that I have to their combination of script lettering, the star and the warm green background will help.
Communication Challenge
In the process of re-branding Holiday Inn to appeal to business travelers, the company is attempting to take a product literally called “Holiday” and create a new identity to attract the no-nonsense market.
And with with these new graphics, they’ve removed ties to the emotional elements of their brand communication that once attracted folks like me. Since buying decisions are inherently emotional, how will business travelers be attracted to the new primitive green H? I understand that they’re trying to mask holiday connotations as their new target market has a non-holiday agenda. With property improvements and a large enough advertising budget, perhaps they will succeed in gaining some market share with business travelers despite the loss of an emotional connection. But I would be more optimistic about their chances if their identity maintained some of those emotional ties with the company’s heritage.
They’re not alone.
Holiday Inn’s marketers must sympathize with the ongoing challenge faced by Radio Shack’s brand builders. Who would choose to buy their leading edge technology from a shack? They’ve survived despite their name. But it make you wonder what might have been achieved without the shack perception obstacle.
New Coke Deja Vu?
Perhaps something needed to be done to secure the future of America’s Innkeeper. Will this be a bold new success story? A new case of The New Coke or Volvo Convertible or Cadillac Cimarron deja vu? Or will stripping away nostalgic feelings of past Holidays save the franchise?
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3 Responses
Tom, what a great article, of particular interest to me as a graphic designer.
Having recently booked a hotel stay, I'd have to say that I look for an intersection of two things: a reasonable price, and more importantly, a new facility (in my experience, if you get the reasonable price but not the new facility, you may be in trouble… only four star hotels age gracefully). In this case, a Courtyard Mariott filled the bill.
For that reason, those older Holiday Inn signs say one thing to me: "Keep driving". A new logo really might get me to reconsider my perceptions of an older chain, but only updating the whole place along with the sign would get my business.
Tom, I couldn't agree more, the rebranding of tired brick and morter does little to keep brand loyal customers coming back.Holiday Inn had a good thing going with its Hampton brand, so good infact they sold it to Hilton.Now they have H.I. Express which is ok but you still wonder what you will find once you pass thru the front door.The other day I was lost driving thru a new development in Glenview and suddenly, I drove past a familiar sign that hasn't changed in 20 years,Century Plastics.The guard station at the end of the street was gone but at least I knew where I was located.
Tom,
You missed the part about the properties now bathed in neon green lighting. The property at the junction of I-290 & I-90 in Schaumburg looks like a refugee from the Wizard of Oz — white by day, green by night (light).
I wonder if they supply green glasses for their guests!